Ignition and load control.



Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

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WILLIAM W. BUCHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ELEC'IBOMATIG SYSTEM COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

IGNITION AND LOAD CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. as, rare.

Application filed June 2, 1916. Serial No. 101,263.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. BUCHER, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition and Load Controls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic load and ignition control and it appertains more especially to the features pointed out in the annexed claims.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a sensitive magneto and load control that will automatically stop the engine by suppressing the ignition current when there is no load on the service mains; that will also automatically restore the discontinued ignition current when a minimum load is on the mains; that will automatically place a maximum load coil into parallel relation with a minimum load coil when a heavy load is thrown onto the line in order to prevent undue heating and deterioration of the very sensitive minimum load coils; that will function for all intermediate load conditions; and that will instantly respond to such maximum load fluctuations through a control of the ignition by a current flowing in series with the service mains.

\Vith these and other ends in view I illustrate in the accompanying drawing such an instance of adaptation as will disclose the fundamental features without limiting myself to the specific details shown.

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of an,

. mum current, instancing how a minimum current will cause the magneto to deliver current to the spark plug of the engine.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the magneto still operative and the sensitive coils connected in parallel with a maximum or heavy load coil.

In carrying out my invention I place my control coils in the service mains so as to be responsive to the varying conditions found therein. In the diagrammatic relation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the turning on of a single lamp 8 will cause a low voltage current at approximately 6 to 24 volts to flow over the line from a starting storage battery 21 over magnets 10. This weak current will pull down the outer end of armature 11 as shown in Fig. 2. Such a movement will open the short circuiting magneto line 17 by reason of the armature 11 being drawn away from the post 16 when the engine 2 will be set in motion by any suitable starter 23 receiving current through switch 24. This switch is operated by governor 22 so that when the engine 2 comes up to speed the switch 21 will transfer the service mains 7 from the battery 21 and starter 23 to the dynamo 1 usually operated at 110415 volts.

With the arrangement shown or any alternative, for instance as exemplified in my application Ser. #81,?18 filed March 2, 1916,

the starting of a lighting unit becomes an easy matter with a minimum of current on the service mains without subsequently endangering the sensitive control coils 10 by heavy loads. The coil 19 shown in this instance serves as a resistance of low ohmic value which however bears such a relation to coils 10 as to not deprive them of sufiicient current to hold the armature 11 full up in the position shown in Fig. 3. A very small current supplementing the residual magnetism of the cores of coils 10 will hold the armature attracted and the ignition circuit operative so long as coil 19 is connected in parallel with coils 10 even though such weak current would not be sufiicient to first move the armature across its full air gap.

Fig. 2 shows the relation of the circuits when a minimum load 8 is on the service mains 7. The armature 11 has one end in contact with one of the coils of magnet 10, the spring 12 attached to the armature and post 13 prevents the armature being pulled down a full stroke by a very weak current, but as soon as a heavy load symbolized by 9 is placed on the main line the armature 11 is drawn down full as shown in Fig. 3, making contact between 14 and 15 so as to place the heavyv load coil 19 in parallel to form a by-path around coils 10 and thus prevent coils 10 from being damaged on account of the large amperage in the circuit.

When the load is for any reason reduced below the range of action of coils 10 the armature is successively retracted in reverse order to'that in which it is attracted and when all demand for current on the service mains ceases the original arrangement of parts shown in Fig. 1 will be instantly restored and primary circuit 18 of the magneto 3 short circulated or grounded by circuitl'Z thusdepriving the secondary ignition circuit of current and stopping the engine It is of course obvious that circuit 17 can be utilized to control any type of ignition, in whatever way is found most desirable.

The dynamo supplies current to mains 7 over outgoing leads 4 and 5 such current being controlled by a main switch 6.

It is to be understood that any means which will respond to extremely small currents supplied thereto over the service mains will coact effectively with a load coil connected in parallel regardless of the specific details instance-d in. the accompanying drawing. It is quite obviousthat the coil 19 whether placed by itself or otherwise positioned relative to coils 10 will continue to function as a resistance even though a magnetic accessory efi'ect is produced in addition. -Vihatiwer relation the coils 10 and 19 are placed in with respect to each other is not made a basis for claims in this application.

For the purpose of this disclosure it is immaterial as to how the battery .is recharged whether under automatic manual or other control, as the same may be accomplished in numerous Ways well known in the art, as,

for instance, through a permanently con-' .nected resistance; However, as this :eature forms no part of the present invention it is not shown.

It will be apparent that devices of this order are specially applicable in the most efiicient manner to automatically control electric generating units under minimum load, service loads, and no load conditions regardless of the voltages under which the different components of a unit are operated and also regardless of obvious alternative details of construction, and in consequence this method of protective control is claimed in a broad sense.

"What I claim is 1. In ignition control for internal combustion engine a source of igniting current, an engine, a dynamo connected to the engine, service mains leading from the dy-' namo, automatic means 1n series with the,

mains adapted to make theignition current available for the engine at minimum load, to discontinue the ignition current at no load, and means for automatically placing a heavy load coil in parallel therewith when an increased current is supplied to the mains.

2. In ignition and load control for internal combustion engines, a source of ignition current, an ignition circuit, an engine, a dynamo connected therewith, service mains leading from the dynamo, a sensi-tive'electrical device in series with the service mains, a heavy load coil, an armature connected to the device, a contact adjacent to the armamesses ture, the contact and armature being included in the ignition circuit, a separate contact, connections therefrom to the heavy load coil so that the sensitive device and the load coil are in parallel relation to each other and in series connection with the mains whereby the armature is responsive to light loads for the first part of its movement so as to make the ignition circuit operative and additionally responsive to heavy loads for,

the latter part of its movement so as to simultaneously retain the ignition circuit operative and protect the sensitive device against heavy load currents and finally to make the ignition circuit inoperative at no load and restore the sensitive device to its governor on the engine attached to the switch adapted to control the circuit between the dynamo, the starter, the mains and the battery, an electromagnetic device placed in series in the mains for controlling the ignition circuit, an armature, and a heavy load coil brought into parallel relation to such devices through a movementof the armature whereby the ignition circuit is first made 0p erative at minimum load and subsequently maintained operative throughout all loads to a maximum and the ignition circuit is made inoperative through the movement of the amnature to stop the engine.

4. An ignition and load control for internal combustion engines; comprising a dynamo, engine and electric starter mechanically connected together, the dynamo and starter operating at independent and separate voltages; service mains supplied by the dynamo; a low voltage storage battery also connected to the mains independently of the dynamo; connections, including the mains, between the battery and the starter; automatic means, comprising a governor actuated by the engine and a switch operated by the governor, for connecting and disconnecting the battery and the starter and the dynamo to and from the mains; an independ- .ent ignition circuit; means operated by current on the mains, supplied by the low voltage battery at starting, the same being adapted to make the primary or" sucli ignition circuit operative to serve the engine during the starting period at minimum load on the mains, also continuing to hold the same in operation for other loads through current supplied by the dynamo; and means for stopping the engine automatically When a demand for current on the mains ceases.

circuit inoperative under'no load con itions."

6. An ignition and load control for internal combustion engines; comprising service mains, a dynamo to supply current thereto; an engine connected to the dynamo; a starter adapted to set the engine and dynamo into action; a low voltage battery of a voltage independent of the voltage or the dynamo, to supply current to the starter; a governor actuated by the engine; an. independent ignition control; and automatic means, comprising a switch in the service mains, controlled by. the governor for placing the starter battery, ignition control, and the service mains in series connection on the stoppage of the engine, through an absence of. demand fOIi current on the service mains and transfer such mains and the ignition control from the low voltage battery and starter to the dynamo as the engine comes to speed. i

7. The combination of an electric generator operating ata certain volta c, with an,

internal combustion. engine for riving the generator; a low voltage source, of a voltage independent of the generator; a centrifugal governor actuated by the engine; service mains for the generator; a, switch auto matically operated by the governor for controlling the connection of the low voltage starting source to the service mains and the discontinuance of such source and the transferof the mains to the generator when the engine functions under its own power; and means connected in series with the service mains, comprising coarse and fine windings in parallel with each other at full load and adapted by means of the fine winding to antomatically control the supply of ignition current to the engine at starting and so long as there is a demand for energy on the service mains and discontinue the same when such demand ceases so as to thereb place the systemin'order for restarting w enever required.

8. An electric generating unit adapted as a current source to supply service mains connected therewith while employing an electrically ignited internal combustion engine for'driving purposes; another source temporarily present engaging the mains; a sensitive ignition control actuated b an independent current from said secon source in response to a demand made for current on such mains, said control being adapted through the use of such separate current to direct the engine ignition at starting and subsequently continue such direction through the operation of the control by means of current from the unit source thereafter operating to discontinue the engine ignition when a demand for currentv on the mains ceases;

and a by-path around the control, made active and maintained active through the presence in the'control of current from the unit source, to accommodate heavy currents, the Iby-path thereby serving to. protect the sensitive control against injury when such currents flow over the mains:

.In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W BUCHER. Witnesses:

N. S. AMs'rUTz, A. M. Scrmariznn. 

